In my miniscule part of the world, I can usually make $100 for a one hour NH gig, make $150 as a OMB doing three sets, or make anywhere from $75 - 200 playing with a trio/quartet for four sets doing one nighters. You do the math. I am happier, healthier and more content playing my retirement/NH jobs. They usually take place in the afternoon and are near home.

As for arrangers, I confess I have never become proficient in using all of those styles. Once I moved from those rickety drum machines on the home organs to playing out with an arranger, I've found it easier to use midi files. How many times do you actually play a song differently? If you hardly change your style and length of the song, why not record it as a SMF or mp3 and then use any frickin' keyboard you want.

The up and coming OMBs may use a standard arranger, but they'll also have a huge armory of other audio choices to help them make music and entertain. If these young folks attack the arrangers as they do other electronica, they may expose sonic possibilities within our arrangers that we never knew existed.